Will McFarlane – Muscle Shoals Soul Guitar and Bonnie Raitt Stories – Soul Country Trailer

Soul Country #13

Airdate May 18, 2026

Trailer 51:5

Recorded in Florence, AL

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Description

A five minute preview of legendary Muscle Shoals guitarist Will McFarlane. He started with Bonnie Raitt in the late 70s working with Little Feat, Tom Waits, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy before Jimmy Johnson of the Swampers called him down to Alabama in 1980 as his right hand man. Get into a Jerry Wexler session with Etta James and Steve Winwood, New Orleans interactions with Allen Toussaint, George Porter Jr. and Wayne Toups and live demonstrations of "Mr. Pitiful" and "Soul Man" licks. The magic is in this man's fingers.

Made possible in part with grants from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation.

More about Will McFarlane

Will McFarlane (b 1952) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter whose roots run deep in blues, soul, and gospel. Born on a Navy base in California, McFarlane started voice lessons at age 6, picked up piano a year later, and grabbed a guitar at 12 after watching the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Bonnie Raitt discovered the 23-year-old prodigy playing a Cambridge, Massachusetts nightclub and brought him into her band, where he remained touring and recording with her from 1974 to 1980. Those six years were a masterclass, with McFarlane soaking up straight blues, folk, country, and rock while sharing stages with living legends (like Tom Waits and Jackson Browne). McFarlane departed the band to plant roots in Muscle Shoals, spending over 20 years as a studio musician at Muscle Shoals Sound and recording with Etta James, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Milton, and Johnnie Taylor. McFarlane was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2008 as one of the Swampers. He continues to perform and record, carrying the Muscle Shoals sound wherever he goes.

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